Smell: Pale and light amber malts with a somewhat strange hop profile - the combination of Cascade and Saaz hops is interesting - some orange and grapefruit flesh and zest, as well as some herbal, spicy hop aromas - vaguely leafy - above-average malt sweetness for an APA, with some caramel, some sweet biscuits, and a touch of mint

Taste: At the very least, it's interesting - orange and grapefruit flesh with some zest and pith combined with some herbal, spicy, leafy, minty hops - pale and caramel malts, with some biscuit and toast flavors - a lot of sweetness, with malty sweetness and a honey-like sweetness - finishes a little sweet as well

Mouthfeel: On the light side of medium, smooth, with some nice carbonation, could finish a little cleaner

Overall: No need to run to the hills

I'm not sure how I first heard about this beer, but I was intrigued by the story of the hops involved in this beer. The result is, indeed interesting. But it's not very special beyond that. Worth a try (despite being only brewed once, it's still around).

More User Reviews:

Decent APA but a little hard to figure out, malt and hops need a tad adjusting. Interestingly, seems like a malty bite with a sweeter hop taste. Appreciate a hidden yeasty taste and like the hoppy ending but generally at times a little rough.

Bought from Table & Vine in West Springfield, MA. From the Goose Island Flight Pack. Served in a glass goblet. The beer has a clear golden-amber appearance with little head retention and spotty lacing on the sides. Aromas included a sweet orange citrus flavor mixed with earthy tones. The beer tasted nicely bittersweet with a good balance of citrus and malts. Pretty good carbonation to the drink, which allows it to be refreshing and crisp. Overall, a good pale ale.

Pour a really nice copper color with a thick white head that sticks around for a bit, leaving behind some nice lacing.

Smell is a bit fruity, there's also pine and floral notes mixed in.

Starts a bit fruity up front, mainly some mild citrus notes. The hops make themselves known pretty quickly, adding pine and floral notes. Leaves a bit of a lingering hops flavor at the finish.

Fairly thick feel for the style, nice and solid.

I would call this an above average example on an APA. It is darker and has a bit more hops presence than I usually associate with the style. Not a bad beer, but being as I am not a big fan of hops, not one I'd drink a lot of.

I liked this one!!!! Poured a clear copper color into a pint glass. Big frothy white head with good retention. Thick bands of lacing on the glass. Smell is not that robust, but it includes some citrus and floral hops. Taste is more pronounced. Good bitterness, Floral (or herbal whatever) hops and some citrus hops and some balancing bready malt.

Mouthfeel may be a hair light, but it is crisp with good hops "bite". At 6.2%, you could enjoy a second one!!! I would drink this again. Good APA.

12oz bottle poured into pint glass. Pours an orange amber color. Just a dusting of head and light blotchy lacing. A bit of pine in the scent. A well-balanced pale ale. Nice representation of the style but not memorable. (8.0)

a fine pale ale, but i had higher hopes. its caramel colored body shows me right away that this thing is going to be balanced by bigger malts until maybe too high a level, and i was right. although the look is nice, clear and bright and holding over an inch of fluffy white head, the nose and taste are less exciting, certainly less sexy. the grain is a little big and a little sweet for the hops, and even without an english yeast profile, it almost tastes like an english pale because of the malts and more bitterness than other flavors coming from the hops. still its crispy and refreshing and not sweet in the taste, i appreciate that part, but i want a little more out of my hops in an american pale than this beer offers, more bitter and grassy than anything else. light feel is nice though, and unexpected for the color, this drinks real easy, almost watered down or something, medium carbonation is fine. overall not the best of goose island here, but their larger batch stuff so rarely is impressive anymore. still, i always buy their beer when i see it, too much good beer they do to not try everything! a solid if a little boring session right here.

First beer of the day.Bottled on Nov.7 2013.Pours into a nonic a rich clear brass color with a billowing sticky one finger white head atop,great color and head.Aromas of grassy and leafy hops with a hint of sweet caramel malts.Leafy and mildly citric hops at the onset of the palate that don't really linger,light sweetness from caramel/biscuit malts.Not a complex APA but not bad,I would have liked more hop complexity but again not bad.

A pretty copper-colored beer. Medium-sized light tan head with a little lace.
Mostly a sweet malt aroma. Tiny bit of citrus.
Lots of caramel in the taste. Just a hint of grapefruit.
Medium-bodied. More malt forward than I expected.